Computerized control systems are used today in a wide array of different industries. For example, a control system may provide control over a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of an area of a building, an entire building, or even a campus of buildings. Other example control systems may provide control over industrial automation devices, home automation systems, automotive systems, warehouse management systems, online content selection systems, and the like.
In some cases, a control system may have competing objectives. For example, in the context of an HVAC system, consider a situation in which the energy consumption by the system is to be capped over a certain time period (e.g., the system is limited to consuming only n-number of kilowatts per week). In such a case, a tradeoff may be made between maximizing user comfort (e.g., by providing air conditioning to an ideal temperature) and maximizing the working hours during which HVAC services are provided. In other words, these objectives may be competing, as maximizing user comfort and maximizing the working hours for the system may not be achievable given the energy consumption constraints for the system (e.g., the system may not be able to maintain an ideal temperature during all hours of the day without exceeding the maximum allowed amount of energy consumption).